How is it July already? With it being 6 months into 2019, I thought I’d have a little recap of where I’m at with my 2019 goals and new year’s resolutions. I find it so beneficial to re-connect with the aims that you set at the start of the year, and lets be honest, those NYR we most likely forgot about! I like to treat this time of year as a chance to evaluate 2019 so far, see where I’m up to with my goals, decide on what else I want to achieve or change this year and get back on track to achieving them. As my love for bullet journaling has returned, now that I actually have the time after finishing my degree, I will be creating a mid-year review page to really make the most of 2019, so keep a look out for that on my Instagram @getittogether_blogs.

One of my 2019 resolutions was to drink more water and stay hydrated as I NEVER drink enough, in fact I often forget to drink and I’ll get the worst headache before realising that I should probably drink something. You’d think the body would be pretty efficient in reminding us to drink (considering it’s needed in order to survive and that!), in truth it’s pretty useless. Did you know when you become thirsty you’re ALREADY DEHYDRATED?! I find when I remind myself to drink and stay hydrated, I’m able to focus for longer and the quality of my work improves as a result. When I forget to drink I often become very tired mid-afternoon and find working at my desk very draining. This year I wanted to make a conscious effort to drink more water and see just how much it helps me. I have accumulated a short list of ways to increase your water in-take and these have made keeping me hydrated possible.

1. Reduce and replace poor quality liquids.

There’s only one type of true quality liquid, the type of liquid to keep you hydrated and that’s water. I’m not going to say completely cut out all juices, coffee and fizzy drinks, because for many of us that wouldn’t be sustainable. But reducing the amount you have and replacing those liquids with water will not only increase your hydration but will also reduce your intake of the liquids which are only dehydrating you further. I love a coffee with my breakfast but I now make a conscious effort to drink a full glass of water as soon as I get up, before I have my breakfast and morning coffee. Drinking water first thing in the morning is not only refreshing and hydrates you after a night of no drinking, but it also helps your body flush out toxins, fires up your metabolism and aids digestion in time for breakfast.

2. Get a shiny new water bottle

Jump on the #plasticfreejuly hype and invest in a shiny new reusable water bottle. Not only is this so much better for the environment and reducing our single-use plastic consumption, but I find it quite rewarding and inviting to use a new water bottle – just me? Having a nice new water bottle will make you much more likely to carry it around with you. Having water on hand will make sure you reach for that when you want a drink rather than the nearest fizzy drink or juice. Plus, as the body can only tell us to drink once we’re already dehydrated, having the bottle on you at all times will act as an extra reminder to keep taking sips every now and again. BONUS, doing this regularly will help form the habit of drinking water regularly and not just when you’re incredibly thirsty.

3. Re-usable straws

Again, let’s do the right thing and invest in re-usable straws if you like to use them, someone’s got to save the turtles after all! Personally, I find using straws makes drinking water effortless. I’m not saying it takes loads of effort and I simply can’t be bothered, but sitting at the computer or watching TV with the straw directly in front of you makes drinking water a pass time and you don’t even realise how much you’ve drank until you reach the bottle of the bottle. I love water bottles with straws, much like the famous ‘Love Island’ bottles, but I will occasionally push the boat out and go for a mason jar and reusable straw.

4. Infuse your water

Big one for me! I can drink so much more water if its flavored, I don’t feel as though I’m forcing it down me. It goes down quicker and I actually enjoy the infused taste, so then I find myself reaching for it more and more throughout the day, in turn staying hydrated. Here are a few ideas:

Lemon

Lime

Strawberries

Raspberries

Orange

Kiwi

Cucumber

Mint leaves

Ginger

Basil

Or take the adventurous route and maybe even try a combination of a few flavors!

5. Measure how much you’re drinking

I love water bottles with measurements on! I’ve had bottles in the past which state how much water is in whether its quarter, half or completely full. Some also say what time you need to have drank a certain amount by – this is ideal! If you haven’t got a bottle like this just write it on yourself. This way you have goals to aim towards at each point of the day and you know that if you’re keeping up with the timed amounts, then you’re making progress. Other ways to do this is set yourself a number of bottles/glasses that you want to get through in a day, at lunch you can see how many you’ve drank and how many you’ve left to drink in order to reach your goal. This keeps you on track and acts as a little challenge throughout the day.

6. Track how much you’re drinking

After measuring how much you’re drinking each day, this will make it possible to track your daily water intake. That way you can see your process and the little daily reminder to track it will not only keep it front of mind and reduce the risk of you forgetting, but it will also motivate and spur you on to drink more each time, until you no longer need to think about it.

Habits don’t just happen by accident. It’s the process of repeating an action until it becomes automatic.

This all may seem a little OTT just to get yourself to drink enough water, but trust me it’s worth it. Our bodies work less effectively when we’re dehydrated, so because our bodies aren’t capable of reminding us to drink in time, it’s down to us to put systems in place to make sure we’re on top of it. Staying hydrated is vital for promoting cardiovascular health, keeping our bodies cool and helping our muscles and joints work better, not to mention brain power!!

Thanks to everyone who follows along with my content and to the recent subscribers of my blog, the support means a lot! For more self-development content and general life hacks, don’t forget to hit the subscribe button to be notified when new content goes live. I also love chatting to you all through social media and my Instagram is probably the best way to reach me with your questions or suggestions, links can be found at the bottom of this page.